Joyce Mattson

Navigating the minefield of insurance has been made so much easier by working with the team at The Cleveland Company. We are a small company and feel much more confident about our insurance decisions with the coaching we receive from The Cleveland Company. Every person we have dealt with has been helpful and so practical, boiling the plethora of technical information down to key points that pertain to us.

Chief Financial Officer / Benilde-St. Margaret's School

Natalie Ramier

We have been very happy with The Cleveland Company. They have helped us navigate the constantly changing world of health insurance and other employee benefits. I feel like we have been able to provide our employees with a high level of benefits while managing costs both for the employee and the organization. Thanks for all you do!

Vice President / Dealer Automotive Services, Inc.

Danna Smishek

Customer service from The Cleveland Company has been exceptional! No matter what question I’ve had, someone at The Cleveland Company has always been able to find the answer and get back to me promptly. If they don’t have the answer to my question they are able to reach out to other professionals to find the answer and convey it to me. I recommend the folks at Cleveland Company because I trust them! They stay on top of the latest rules and regulations and promptly advise me of changes pertinent to my business.I recommend the folks at The Cleveland Company because…I trust them!

SPHR, Human Resources Director / ImageSensing Systems

Becky Degendorfer

The Cleveland Company has been a trusted partner of ImageSensing Systems (ISS) for over a decade. They have aided our organization in remaining competitively aligned by offering our employee’s top tier, affordable healthcare and benefits. At the same time The Cleveland Company helped ISS manage the financial impact of a dynamic, often difficult to understand, healthcare environment. Additionally, their customer service has been outstanding. The knowledgeable team at The Cleveland is always ready to roll up their sleeves to help us meet the needs of ISS employees.

Nicole Dodge

The Cleveland Company has been a respected and dependable partner to us for over 8 years. In working with John and his team we find them to be extremely reliable, responsive, and resourceful. They are proactive in staying ahead of industry trends to provide services and solutions to meet the changing landscape. In addition to a welcoming and friendly staff, one of the things we also value is that information is presented in a manner that can be understood and appreciated by all audiences.

Training Manager / Lifecore Biomedical

Leah Bredehorst

Our organization has worked with The Cleveland Company for 25 years. Throughout that entire time, they have been an invaluable business partner. They have kept our organization aware of regulatory, legal and business practice changes in the industry and provided appropriate resources and solutions. The staff at The Cleveland Company has always responded to our needs and requests in a very timely manner. They truly put their customers first. They are not only our broker, but our advocate.

Dan Delmore

One of the greatest challenges facing small business owners is the daunting task of staying ahead of all the regulatory changes and mandatory disclosures. My company health insurance puzzle was solved the day I began to work with Michelle Maher and The Cleveland Company. Michelle’s knowledge of the industry and the myriad of regulatory government changes has enabled me to provide coverage for my employees in an affordable manner. She also has the skills necessary to present to my staff how the program will affect their personal health care situation.

Human Resources Administrator / Stationery-Print.Com, Inc.

Stephanie Havemeier

We have been using The Cleveland Company for years because the customer service they provide is exceptional! They work diligently to provide us the best insurance options for us as a company as well as our employees. We trust them implicitly and I can’t imagine using someone else.

Top Eight Questions Employers Should Ask their Benefits Advisor

Q1. What’s the best way to control health care costs?

A1. Surprisingly, there are still ways to achieve cost-containment and even savings on health care expenditures. It takes careful plan design, carrier negotiations, and employee education, but it can be done. In fact, UBA data shows its employer customers save on average 5.2 percent a year.

Q2. What are my top competitors offering in terms of health care benefits?

A2. When you are looking to balance costs with attracting talent, it is critical to know what other employers in your region, size range, and industry are doing when it comes to offering health care coverage. This granular benchmarking is far more critical then comparing your plan with national or carrier data.

More questions, more answers...

Q3. Should I move to a consumer-driven health plan?

A3. Everyone’s need are different depending on your own personal situation. Your Cleveland Company benefits advisor can help you decide.

Q4. With health care reform in full implementation, should I play or just pay?

A4. While on the surface it may seem easy to just wash your hands of health benefits altogether, your benefits advisor should help you fully assess all the tax, reporting, recruitment, retention, financial, and other ramifications of this choice.

Q5. Should I consider self–funding?

A5. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is prompting many advisors to talk even more seriously to small and midsize employers about taking the plunge into self-funded health care plans. While the trend has been building for about a decade due to the increased control employers have over plan dynamics, even employers with fewer than 50 employees should look at this option because it may offer some compliance and cost relief associated with reform.

Q6. What do I need to know about private and public exchanges?

A6. With public exchanges largely undeveloped and private exchanges just emerging, not to mention complex rules around coverage through these vehicles, your advisor can help you best determine who in your organization can be best served through these very different types of exchanges.

Q7. With most of my benefits spend going to health care, which ancillary benefits will give me the biggest bang for my buck?

A7. Whether you are considering wellness programs, dental, short-term disability, long term disability, or life insurance options, you should base your decisions on solid data around factors such as return on investment, individual vs. group coverage, and what other employers are offering in your region, size range and industry.

Q8. How do I stay on top of all the changes and obligations under ACA?

Your benefits advisor can provide a simple checklist of your obligations each year under the law. In addition, they should stay on top of the coverage requirements, grandfathering rules, and supply the latest tools for educating employees about your plans. Your advisor should also keep you informed as new rules and clarifications are issued for review and implementation so you can prepare, lobby and act accordingly.

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